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Jul 14, 2011
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the war in afghanistan based on a misreading of history. half a trillion of dollars in expenses already. the war against libya will be $1 billion by september. 50% of our discretionary spending goes for the pentagon. a massive transfer of wealth into the hands of a few while the american people lack sufficient jobs, health care, housing, retirement security. our energy policies take the wealth from the american people and put it into the hands of the oil companies. we could be looking at $150 a barrel in the near future. our environmental policy takes the wealth of the people, clean air, clean water, and puts it in the hands of the polluters. it's a transfer of wealth. not only from the present but from future generations as our environment is ruined. insurance companies, what do they do? they take the wealth from the american people in terms of what they charge people for health insurance and they put it not -- it into the hands of the few. we have to realize what this country's economy has become. our monetary policy, through the federal
the war in afghanistan based on a misreading of history. half a trillion of dollars in expenses already. the war against libya will be $1 billion by september. 50% of our discretionary spending goes for the pentagon. a massive transfer of wealth into the hands of a few while the american people lack sufficient jobs, health care, housing, retirement security. our energy policies take the wealth from the american people and put it into the hands of the oil companies. we could be looking at $150 a...
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Jul 7, 2011
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is the afghanistan central government introducing the rule of law? have we not already defeated al qaeda? and so who are we fighting and why? for $10 billion a month, mr. speaker, our expectations as taxpayers, as americans, as members of congress should be high. is it too much to think that $10 billion a month to buy a stable ally, ally capable of standing on its own two feet, taking responsibility for its own security and having respect for the rule of law? instead, corruption and chaos are ruling the day in kabul. basic government institutions are failing to provide services. president karzai has tried to establish a special court, in fact, for the purpose of stripping 62 members of parliament of their seats and the financial system is teetering on the brink of collapse. with the head of the central bank fleeing the country and accusing karzai's regime of fraud and cronism. just a few days ago, mr. speaker, a brawl broke out on the floor of the afghanistan parliament with one member throwing a shoe at another member when a motion was proposed to i
is the afghanistan central government introducing the rule of law? have we not already defeated al qaeda? and so who are we fighting and why? for $10 billion a month, mr. speaker, our expectations as taxpayers, as americans, as members of congress should be high. is it too much to think that $10 billion a month to buy a stable ally, ally capable of standing on its own two feet, taking responsibility for its own security and having respect for the rule of law? instead, corruption and chaos are...
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Jul 6, 2011
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good morning to those here, good evening in afghanistan. i'd like to welcome pack to the pentagon briefing room, army lieutenant general david rodriguez. he's commander of the international security assistance force joint command, also known as i.j.c. and also the deputy commander of the united states forces afghanistan. general rodriguez's current tour began in june, 2009, he became the first commander of the i.j.c. in october of that year. prior to that, general rodriguez was commander of regional command east for 15 months from january, 2007 to april, 2008. next week after two straight years in command and more than 40 months in after gap stan over the past 4 1/2 year, general rodriguez is ski wruled to change command and return stateside to have u.s. army forces command. the general most recently joined us here in person last february and we're very grate to feel see him this morning via satellite for an update on operations before he changes command. with that, general, i'll return it to you. >> good morning, dave. thank you for that i
good morning to those here, good evening in afghanistan. i'd like to welcome pack to the pentagon briefing room, army lieutenant general david rodriguez. he's commander of the international security assistance force joint command, also known as i.j.c. and also the deputy commander of the united states forces afghanistan. general rodriguez's current tour began in june, 2009, he became the first commander of the i.j.c. in october of that year. prior to that, general rodriguez was commander of...
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Jul 13, 2011
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during its nine-year war in afghanistan. public polls are clear, americans know the cost of the war in afghanistan is unsustainable and want us to withdraw as soon as possible. when it comes to cutting back on support for the neediest americans, we can't seem to face the urgent reality that the money that we spend abroad needs to be spent here at home. the financial facts tell the story, taxpayers in my district in seattle have spent $1.1 trillion -- billion for afghanistan war to date. think about that. one city, $1.1 billion. for the same amount of money we could provide health care for 700,000 children from low-income families or put 125,000 kids in head start or health care for 150,000 more veterans. imagine how different it would be if states like wisconsin which faces a $3.6 billion budget deficit did not have to bear the cost of the war in afghanistan. so the question before us is simple, what is our priority? fighting a war with no end? or investing in the american people? the answer lies in what kind of country we a
during its nine-year war in afghanistan. public polls are clear, americans know the cost of the war in afghanistan is unsustainable and want us to withdraw as soon as possible. when it comes to cutting back on support for the neediest americans, we can't seem to face the urgent reality that the money that we spend abroad needs to be spent here at home. the financial facts tell the story, taxpayers in my district in seattle have spent $1.1 trillion -- billion for afghanistan war to date. think...
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Jul 20, 2011
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afghanistan alone is costing $10 billion a month with the total price tag for iraq and afghanistan going back 10 years $3.2 trillion. and that's a conservative estimate, mr. speaker. these are staggering figures, especially during a recession when americans are crying out for washington to do something about creating jobs and breathing life back into our economy. and what are the taxpayers getting for their trillions of dollars in war spending? more than 6,100 dead americans, continued violence in iraq and a prime minister whose cozying up to iran and an ongoing civil war in libya. a corrupt regime in kabul, insurgents that continue to kill at will. in afghanistan, a nation still under crushing poverty and an afghan government that cannot protect its own people. by any measure these wars have been a devastating failure and yet with barely any scrutiny, barely any debate and certainly no outrage from republican leaders, we continue to write that check. meanwhile, we have domestic programs that work, proven investments in the survival and prosperity of our people. medicare, social security
afghanistan alone is costing $10 billion a month with the total price tag for iraq and afghanistan going back 10 years $3.2 trillion. and that's a conservative estimate, mr. speaker. these are staggering figures, especially during a recession when americans are crying out for washington to do something about creating jobs and breathing life back into our economy. and what are the taxpayers getting for their trillions of dollars in war spending? more than 6,100 dead americans, continued violence...
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Jul 12, 2011
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their skills that they're bringing back, they are companies specifically going after returning iraq and afghanistan veterans to be able to hire them. it was interesting, we were talking about drilling and you go into a drilling platform and they say their favorite people to be able to hire are tank drivers returning from the war zone because they're used to driving equipment, looking on a screen and dealing with multiple things all at once. these are folks employing our veterans and they're engaged in providing great jobs. i was on a fracking site, being able to watch it. it's high tech job, people on computers, as well as people in pumping, trucks, people providing food, people providing the equipment, it's people with big wrenches and people with small computers. and you see this multitude of different jobs provided by oil and natural gas and by fossil fuels we're producing right here in america. we are at a moment that we can either say, we want all green jobs, we want to destroy the jobs producing fossil fuels, or we can say, let's do both. let's encourage the growth of green jobs but let's not
their skills that they're bringing back, they are companies specifically going after returning iraq and afghanistan veterans to be able to hire them. it was interesting, we were talking about drilling and you go into a drilling platform and they say their favorite people to be able to hire are tank drivers returning from the war zone because they're used to driving equipment, looking on a screen and dealing with multiple things all at once. these are folks employing our veterans and they're...
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Jul 7, 2011
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and afghanistan prohibiting afghanistan from taxing u.s. subcontractors doing work in afghanistan. so this ban on levying taxes would apply to all subcontractors that may not have direct contracts with afghanistan. in other words, if a company is working on a project funded by the u.s. department of defense, whether that company is a prime contractor or subcontractor, that company should not be subject to taxes from the afghan government. seems pretty simple. these are the contractors doing the work of rebuilding in afghanistan, helping rebuild the infrastructure and hopefully allowing them to one day thrive independently. common sense and financial prudentens says the u.s. should not be subject to taxation for the rebuilding efforts it is paying for. and that was what we were getting at with this amendment. mr. kingston: i think the point that you have raised is a very valid point and something that's very good discussion matter. unfortunately, we believe that it is authorizing an appropriation as the chair has confirmed. but that probably, the concern far more than the philosophi
and afghanistan prohibiting afghanistan from taxing u.s. subcontractors doing work in afghanistan. so this ban on levying taxes would apply to all subcontractors that may not have direct contracts with afghanistan. in other words, if a company is working on a project funded by the u.s. department of defense, whether that company is a prime contractor or subcontractor, that company should not be subject to taxes from the afghan government. seems pretty simple. these are the contractors doing the...
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Jul 8, 2011
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while i think those funds are an important part of the strategy for long-term success in afghanistan, i think the highest and best use of a very small part of that money is to help our national guard and reserve combat veterans get back on their feet again. my amendment would use about 1.5% for that purpose, which i think is reasonable. in exchange for about 1.5% of what we are about to provide to help the afghans take care of themselves we can provide a 125% increase in support for those american soldiers and their families who make it all possible. i think that's a pretty good deal. finally, my amendment will not in any way delay final passage of this important passage. if adopted we move to a straight final vote on passage of this legislation. i want to thank the chairman and the ranking member for their service and for their work on this bill. i think my amendment will have virtually no adverse impact on what we're trying to do for afghanistan, but it will have a huge positive impact on meeting the need of our combat veterans and their families. i hope that's something we can all
while i think those funds are an important part of the strategy for long-term success in afghanistan, i think the highest and best use of a very small part of that money is to help our national guard and reserve combat veterans get back on their feet again. my amendment would use about 1.5% for that purpose, which i think is reasonable. in exchange for about 1.5% of what we are about to provide to help the afghans take care of themselves we can provide a 125% increase in support for those...
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Jul 25, 2011
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it's in afghanistan and it's in baghdad. we're building the bridges, we're building -- cleaning the rivers, providing the water and electrical systems there to the tune of $150 billion a year. bring our troops home. bring our money back to america. build america. we re-build america. there's the answer. not in this way. -- not in this way will you ever solve the deficit. and by the way this bill lays off people. 15,000 people at the e.p.a. alone. this bill will not build infrastructure. this bill will take away the infrastructure for our sanitation systems, for our water systems. that's what this bill does. my colleague from california knows full good and well what's intended here. it's to give our resources to the polluters. it's to foul our air. it's to remove the ability of the people of america, not some government in washington, but the people of america have for the last 40 years demanded clean water that their resources be protected, that the commons be protected. s the people of america that want a future that's good
it's in afghanistan and it's in baghdad. we're building the bridges, we're building -- cleaning the rivers, providing the water and electrical systems there to the tune of $150 billion a year. bring our troops home. bring our money back to america. build america. we re-build america. there's the answer. not in this way. -- not in this way will you ever solve the deficit. and by the way this bill lays off people. 15,000 people at the e.p.a. alone. this bill will not build infrastructure. this...
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Jul 28, 2011
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wonder if the virps -- veterans, 2.2 million who served us with with honor and distinction in iraq and afghanistan would feel that way to draw back on the benefits that they earned. during the bush years our country spent $1.5 trillion in iraq and national defense. the turnaround in our budget picture during the bush years was remarkable. in october of 2008, cnn reported that the debt clock had run out of numbers. the debt clock actually had exceeded 13 digits that had been allotted to the clock and had to be revised. according to one report at the end of the bush term, the number of jobs in the nation increased by 2%. that's the lowest at anytime since data began to be collected seven decades ago. gross domestic product was at the lowest pace since the truman administration, and the price that america has paid for the theology that suggested during all of those years that tax cuts pay for themselves. you can't find a mainstream economist in this town today who will acknowledge that argument. and yet we hear now more tax cuts for the wealthiest americans. by the time that the bush years ended, the
wonder if the virps -- veterans, 2.2 million who served us with with honor and distinction in iraq and afghanistan would feel that way to draw back on the benefits that they earned. during the bush years our country spent $1.5 trillion in iraq and national defense. the turnaround in our budget picture during the bush years was remarkable. in october of 2008, cnn reported that the debt clock had run out of numbers. the debt clock actually had exceeded 13 digits that had been allotted to the...
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Jul 26, 2011
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in fact, the wars of iraq and afghanistan were longer than world war ii. and all of those moneys were spent under the last administration, tax cuts that went about for individuals who by and large have said no thank you because they want to invest in america. so i'm prepared to join with my many friends to work on moving this country forward, but let's move on. let's move on beyond the impossible proposal given by speaker boehner of that -- that focuses on a hybrid, vote now for the debt ceiling then come back and fight it out again in six months. that is not the consistency and the evenness that is necessary for all of those who are seeking employment or all of those businesses or all of those in the arena of money making. they need an even pathway. and so while we get on with the ordinary business, get on with the ordinary business so that we can begin to talk about the growth of this country, education for the young people, making sure the doors of businesses stay open, talk about how do we fix a tax system where we all can benefit. but as long as we ar
in fact, the wars of iraq and afghanistan were longer than world war ii. and all of those moneys were spent under the last administration, tax cuts that went about for individuals who by and large have said no thank you because they want to invest in america. so i'm prepared to join with my many friends to work on moving this country forward, but let's move on. let's move on beyond the impossible proposal given by speaker boehner of that -- that focuses on a hybrid, vote now for the debt...
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Jul 18, 2011
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they're putting money in other places like to the war, places like that in afghanistan, to other wars. that is my question. guest: two interesting things your question brings up. when fdr desigd so security, he said, we're going to put it on your checks every week so you will see it being taken out and you will note it is there for you. that was very, very important to fdr and the preservation of the social safety net. also, he said, we are going to make sure that every time >> "washington journal" begins live every morning at 7:00 a.m. eastern. live to capitol hill now. oklahoma senator tom coburn is about to release his plan to cut the deficit by $9 trillion over the next decade. >> good afternoon. thank you for being here. let me first of all thank my staff, who has worked thousands of hours the last six weeks to accumulate, sifted through every agency and every program of the federal government. you are going to see in this report details like you have never seen. this is a plan, not the only plan, but it is the only plan that will put our country back on a footing in needs to be
they're putting money in other places like to the war, places like that in afghanistan, to other wars. that is my question. guest: two interesting things your question brings up. when fdr desigd so security, he said, we're going to put it on your checks every week so you will see it being taken out and you will note it is there for you. that was very, very important to fdr and the preservation of the social safety net. also, he said, we are going to make sure that every time >>...
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Jul 5, 2011
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host: also in "usa today" this morning, and op-ed saying "to win the war in afghanistan, we must fix the politics." host: back to the phones and the public's discussion, asheville, n.c., george -- joyce. caller: we do not have any say in what congress says it through our president except through voting. i call them all the time and make my voice heard. sometimes they are not nice to me. i think that the biggest problem in this country are the illegals that come in here to of our country and a protest. the taxes of this country are taking care of them. they will hit the streets in georgia this time. arizona and other states. host: you said you had had contact? caller: just about my complaints with social security and medicare. host: their response to you? caller: they just listen to me sometimes. sometimes they say thank you for calling. host: you have spoke to them on the phone? caller: i was complaining more about illegals, i think that is the biggest problem of the nation. host: i am going t let you go now. we have this biggest -- we have this twitter message. host: auburn they'll,
host: also in "usa today" this morning, and op-ed saying "to win the war in afghanistan, we must fix the politics." host: back to the phones and the public's discussion, asheville, n.c., george -- joyce. caller: we do not have any say in what congress says it through our president except through voting. i call them all the time and make my voice heard. sometimes they are not nice to me. i think that the biggest problem in this country are the illegals that come in here to of...
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Jul 20, 2011
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so the iraq war and the afghanistan war. the other thing is this downturn in the economy. the downturn in the economy occurred in 2008. how did it happen, why did we have that crash of the american economy? we had it because the federal government stepped back from regulating the financial institutions, allowing them to run wild, assuming that they would be smart enough to regulate themselves. that didn't happen. they were smart enough to be extraordinarily greedy. wall street went on a greed binge and the result was the collapse of the financial industry. needless to say there were other players in this game and many americans, hundreds of thousands of americans joined in the game and took out mortgages, bought house that there was no way they could possibly afford. the financial industry, the mortgage industry and wall street bankers and we wound up with the great collapse of 2008. to deal with that the bailout of wall street occurred, most of that has now been paid back. it worked. did it work for the benefit of americans? well, it stabilized the financial institutions
so the iraq war and the afghanistan war. the other thing is this downturn in the economy. the downturn in the economy occurred in 2008. how did it happen, why did we have that crash of the american economy? we had it because the federal government stepped back from regulating the financial institutions, allowing them to run wild, assuming that they would be smart enough to regulate themselves. that didn't happen. they were smart enough to be extraordinarily greedy. wall street went on a greed...
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Jul 14, 2011
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in afghanistan we spend $325 billion -- million a day and in iraq we've spent about $100 million a day. that's almost $1 billion a day. we're talking about $950 -- almost $1 billion in light rail. we can both be right and smart and compassionate if we do the right thing. in our budgeting process we should have an unexpected fund for unforeseen circumstances, we should have learned from katrina. we're looking at probably about $4 billion in term of army corps of engineers. i think our leaderships need to get together and just say that we can do this without fighting among each other, without making each other wrong. because that's wrong. in the eyes of the public, they want us to do the job that needs to get done and have our leadership do that. and so my plea is that we can be fiscally responsible and we can be compassionate and we do that with good planning and good budgeting process, including having contingency funds that should have been there. and so we have an opportunity right now to show the public that we can do all these things and still come out winners for those who need th
in afghanistan we spend $325 billion -- million a day and in iraq we've spent about $100 million a day. that's almost $1 billion a day. we're talking about $950 -- almost $1 billion in light rail. we can both be right and smart and compassionate if we do the right thing. in our budgeting process we should have an unexpected fund for unforeseen circumstances, we should have learned from katrina. we're looking at probably about $4 billion in term of army corps of engineers. i think our...
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Jul 26, 2011
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brave men and women in uniform who have given their lives in the service of our nation in iraq and afghanistan and their families and of all who serve in our armed forces and their families. the chair: without objection, two-minute voting will continue. the unfinished business is the request for a railroaded -- vord -- recorded vote on amendment number 2 by the gentleman from illinois, mr. rush, on which further proceedings were postponed, on which the noes prevailed by voice vote. the clerk will redesignate the amendment. the clerk: amendment number 2 printed in house report 112-181, offered by mr. rush of illinois. the chair: a recorded vote has been requested. a sufficient number having risen, a recorded vote is ordered. this will be a two-minute vote, followed by a series of additional two-minute votes. [captioning made possible by the national captioning institute, inc., in cooperation with the united states house of representatives. any use of the closed-captioned coverage of the house proceedings for political or commercial purposes is expressly prohibited by the u.s. house of represent
brave men and women in uniform who have given their lives in the service of our nation in iraq and afghanistan and their families and of all who serve in our armed forces and their families. the chair: without objection, two-minute voting will continue. the unfinished business is the request for a railroaded -- vord -- recorded vote on amendment number 2 by the gentleman from illinois, mr. rush, on which further proceedings were postponed, on which the noes prevailed by voice vote. the clerk...
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Jul 19, 2011
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it cut social programs, would get us out of iraq and afghanistan, it would take a serious look out of social security and medicare and in many cases contributing to this deficit. and it would say that those who benefit from ethanol subsidies and oil company tax breaks, the wealthiest people in this country would have to pay a little bit more to pay their fair share. something like that is what should be on the floor here this afternoon because it can pass, the president can sign it and it can solve the fiscal problems of this country or take us in the right direction. but we don't have something like that. instead we have a plan that says the following and puts it in the constitution, the guy who runs an ethanol company who gets massive public subsidies can make profits is completely left alone. he doesn't have to do anything. but for the woman who cleans his office at night is going to have to pay more to go to college, more for health care for herself, her children and her parents and more for just about anything she wants in her life. there's something wrong with that picture. sacr
it cut social programs, would get us out of iraq and afghanistan, it would take a serious look out of social security and medicare and in many cases contributing to this deficit. and it would say that those who benefit from ethanol subsidies and oil company tax breaks, the wealthiest people in this country would have to pay a little bit more to pay their fair share. something like that is what should be on the floor here this afternoon because it can pass, the president can sign it and it can...